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		<h1>4. The Road Through the Forest</h1>
<p>
After a few hours the road began to be 
rough, and the walking grew so 
difficult that the Scarecrow often 
stumbled over the yellow bricks, which 
were here very uneven. Sometimes, 
indeed, they were broken or missing 
altogether, leaving holes that Toto 
jumped across and Dorothy walked 
around. As for the Scarecrow, having 
no brains, he walked straight ahead, 
and so stepped into the holes and fell 
at full length on the hard bricks. It 
never hurt him, however, and Dorothy 
would pick him up and set him upon his 
feet again, while he joined her in 
laughing merrily at his own mishap.
</p><p>
The farms were not nearly so well 
cared for here as they were farther 
back. There were fewer houses and 
fewer fruit trees, and the farther 
they went the more dismal and lonesome 
the country became.
</p><p>
At noon they sat down by the roadside, 
near a little brook, and Dorothy 
opened her basket and got out some 
bread. She offered a piece to the 
Scarecrow, but he refused.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I am never hungry,"</span> he said, <span class="diag9">"and it is a lucky thing I am not, 
for my mouth is only painted, and if 
I should cut a hole in it so I could 
eat, the straw I am stuffed with 
would come out, and that would spoil 
the shape of my head."</span>
</p><p>
Dorothy saw at once that this was 
true, so she only nodded and went on 
eating her bread.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"Tell me something about 
yourself and the country you came 
from,"</span> said the Scarecrow, when 
she had finished her dinner. So she 
told him all about Kansas, and how 
gray everything was there, and how 
the cyclone had carried her to this 
queer Land of Oz.
</p><p>
The Scarecrow listened carefully, and 
said, <span class="diag9">"I cannot 
understand why you should wish to 
leave this beautiful country and go 
back to the dry, gray place you call 
Kansas."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"That is because 
you have no brains"</span> answered 
the girl. <span class="diag4">"No 
matter how dreary and gray our homes 
are, we people of flesh and blood 
would rather live there than in any 
other country, be it ever so 
beautiful. There is no place like 
home."</span>
</p><p>
The Scarecrow sighed.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"Of course I 
cannot understand it,"</span> he said. <span class="diag9">"If 
your heads were stuffed with straw, 
like mine, you would probably all 
live in the beautiful places, and 
then Kansas would have no people at 
all. It is fortunate for Kansas that 
you have brains."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Won't you tell me 
a story, while we are resting?"</span> 
asked the child.
</p><p>
The Scarecrow looked at her 
reproachfully, and answered:
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"My life has been 
so short that I really know nothing 
whatever. I was only made day before 
yesterday. What happened in the world 
before that time is all unknown to me. 
Luckily, when the farmer made my head, 
one of the first things he did was to 
paint my ears, so that I heard what 
was going on. There was another 
Munchkin with him, and the first 
thing I heard was the farmer saying, 
<i>How do you like those ears?</i></span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9"><i>They aren't 
straight,</i> answered the other.</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9"><i>Never mind,</i> 
said the farmer. <i>They are ears just 
the same,</i> which was true enough.</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9"><i>Now I'll make 
the eyes,</i> said the farmer. So he 
painted my right eye, and as soon as 
it was finished I found myself 
looking at him and at everything 
around me with a great deal of 
curiosity, for this was my first 
glimpse of the world.</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9"><i>That's a rather 
pretty eye,</i> remarked the Munchkin 
who was watching the farmer. <i>Blue 
paint is just the color for eyes.</i>
</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9"><i>I think I'll 
make the other a little bigger,</i> said 
the farmer. And when the second eye 
was done I could see much better than 
before. Then he made my nose and my 
mouth. But I did not speak, because 
at that time I didn't know what a 
mouth was for. I had the fun of 
watching them make my body and my 
arms and legs; and when they 
fastened on my head, at last, I felt 
very proud, for I thought I was just 
as good a man as anyone.</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9"><i>This fellow will 
scare the crows fast enough,</i> said the 
farmer. <i>He looks just like a man.</i></span>
</p><p>
"<span class="diag9"><i>Why, he is a 
man,</i> said the other, and I quite 
agreed with him. The farmer carried me 
under his arm to the cornfield, and 
set me up on a tall stick, where you 
found me. He and his friend soon after 
walked away and left me alone.</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I did not like to 
be deserted this way. So I tried to 
walk after them. But my feet would not 
touch the ground, and I was forced to 
stay on that pole. It was a lonely 
life to lead, for I had nothing to 
think of, having been made such a 
little while before. Many crows and 
other birds flew into the cornfield, 
but as soon as they saw me they flew 
away again, thinking I was a Munchkin; 
and this pleased me and made me feel 
that I was quite an important person. 
By and by an old crow flew near me, 
and after looking at me carefully he 
perched upon my shoulder and said:</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9"><i>I wonder if that 
farmer thought to fool me in this 
clumsy manner. Any crow of sense could 
see that you are only stuffed with 
straw.<\i> Then he hopped down at my feet 
and ate all the corn he wanted. The 
other birds, seeing he was not harmed 
by me, came to eat the corn too, so in 
a short time there was a great flock 
of them about me.</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I felt sad at 
this, for it showed I was not such a 
good Scarecrow after all; but the old 
crow comforted me, saying, <i>If you 
only had brains in your head you would 
be as good a man as any of them, and a 
better man than some of them. Brains 
are the only things worth having in 
this world, no matter whether one is a 
crow or a man.</i></span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"After the crows 
had gone I thought this over, and 
decided I would try hard to get some 
brains. By good luck you came along 
and pulled me off the stake, and from 
what you say I am sure the Great Oz 
will give me brains as soon as we get 
to the Emerald City."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"I hope so,"</span> 
said Dorothy 
earnestly,<span class="diag4"> "since 
you seem anxious to have them."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"Oh, yes; I am 
anxious,"</span> returned the 
Scarecrow. <span class="diag9">"It is 
such an uncomfortable feeling to know 
one is a fool."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Well,"</span> 
said the girl, <span class="diag4">"let 
us go."</span> And she handed the 
basket to the Scarecrow.
</p><p>
There were no fences at all by the 
roadside now, and the land was rough 
and untilled. Toward evening they came 
to a great forest, where the trees 
grew so big and close together that 
their branches met over the road of 
yellow brick. It was almost dark under 
the trees, for the branches shut out 
the daylight; but the travelers did 
not stop, and went on into the forest.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"If this road goes 
in, it must come out,"</span> said the 
Scarecrow, <span class="diag9">"and as 
the Emerald City is at the other end 
of the road, we must go wherever it 
leads us."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Anyone would know 
that,"</span> said Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"Certainly; that 
is why I know it,"</span> returned the 
Scarecrow. <span class="diag9">"If it 
required brains to figure it out, I 
never should have said it."</span>
</p><p>
After an hour or so the light faded 
away, and they found themselves 
stumbling along in the darkness. 
Dorothy could not see at all, but Toto 
could, for some dogs see very well in 
the dark; and the Scarecrow declared 
he could see as well as by day. So she 
took hold of his arm and managed to 
get along fairly well.
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"If you see any 
house, or any place where we can pass 
the night,"</span> she said, 
<span class="diag4">"you must tell me; 
for it is very uncomfortable walking 
in the dark."</span>
</p><p>
Soon after the Scarecrow stopped.
</p><p>
<span class="diag9">"I see a little 
cottage at the right of us,"</span> he said, <span class="diag9">"built 
of logs and branches. Shall we go 
there?"</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Yes, indeed,"</span> 
answered the child. 
<span class="diag4">"I am all tired 
out."</span>
</p><p>
So the Scarecrow led her through the 
trees until they reached the cottage, 
and Dorothy entered and found a bed of 
dried leaves in one corner. She lay 
down at once, and with Toto beside her 
soon fell into a sound sleep. The 
Scarecrow, who was never tired, stood 
up in another corner and waited 
patiently until morning came.
</p>
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